LCDE and CARE completes initial cash
distributions for Yolanda victims in Basey, Samar
By Carlo Jerusalem
LCDE Advocacy Officer
Leyte Center for Development
(LCDE), a disaster response and mitigation NGO; and CARE International, a
humanitarian NGO, began the first phase of their livelihood program for the
victims of Typhoon Yolanda as early as March which was composed of cash grants
to selected beneficiaries in multiple barangays in Basey, Samar. The cash grant
is part of CARE and LCDE’s span of activities which aims to help beneficiaries
recover or start new livelihoods which includes trainings in order to increase
the resilience of the community and its livelihoods against natural and
man-made disasters.
LCDE has a project team leader
and several field staff in place which implements and ensures CARE’s livelihood
program is going as intended, alongside close coordination with CARE personnel.
Much of the success of the opening programs phase is also due to established PO
(Peasant Organization) in the project area which assisted in some aspects of
the project. Beneficiaries were selected based on a criteria developed by CARE,
to guarantee that the cash grant is given to qualified members of the community.
Each beneficiary will receive 3,000.00 Php to be used in expenditures
concerning their livelihoods.
The first cash distribution began
on March 14, 2014 in Barangay Mabini with Cluster one (1) composed of Barangay
Mabini, Sitios Bagti, Biga, Burabod, Binugho and Barangay Manlilinab, the
second distribution was held on May 6, 2014 in Sitio Can-umran with Cluster two
(2) composed of Sitios Guinpongduan, Rizal, Can-umran, Rono, and Cambabang;
Cluster three (3) which is composed of Barangays Cancaiyas, Cogon and Sitio
Lanaga received cash grants on May 8, 2014 in Barangay Cogon. Cluster four (4)
composed of Barangay Villa Aurora, Sitio Lubang and Macaranas received their
cash on May 19, 2014, thus ending the first phase of the livelihood program.
Project areas of LCDE and CARE in
Basey suffered immense damage to their livelihoods due to Typhoon Yolanda,
especially since much of the communities’ main sources of livelihoods are
agriculturally based. Almost all the beneficiaries were unable to restart their
respective livelihoods before the advent of CARE’s cash grant, which is a sign
of the Philippine government’s inability to respond to the needs of its
citizens during severe natural calamities. Although there are visible
indications of the government stepping up their efforts, most of the recovery
and rehabilitation in affected areas are still mostly handled by local and
international NGO’s.
